Dukakis Steps Up Attacks on Bush, Cites Iran, Trade

Democratic presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis stepped up his attacks on his Republican rival Tuesday, accusing Vice President George Bush of “failing the test” of leadership by his role in the Iran-Contra scandal.

Dukakis attacked Bush’s economic policies also and renewed his criticism of Bush’s slowness to set a time for a face-to-face debate. The new aggressiveness was evidenced after several weeks in which Dukakis seemed passive in the face of Bush’s own attacks.

Dukakis based his latest salvo on the Iran-Contra affair on a new book by two members of the Senate Iran-Contra Investigation Committee, Democrat George J. Mitchell and Republican William S. Cohen, both of Maine. In addition, Dukakis has been briefed on the congressional Iran-Contra inquiry by the chairman of the House investigation panel, Rep. Lee H. Hamilton (D-Ind.).

Bush Seen as in ‘the Loop’

In their book, “Men of Zeal: A Candid Inside Story of the Iran-Contra Hearings,” which is being released this week, the two senators conclude that Bush, despite his claims of being “out of the loop” when the arms sales were discussed, in fact knew about and “endorsed” the sales.

Bush has admitted being at several meetings in late 1985 and early 1986 at which the arms sales were discussed, but he has been vague about what he actually knew about them. He has refused to say whether he favored them, saying his loyalty to President Reagan bars him from disclosing what advice he may have given.

Dukakis called the sale “one of the worst foreign policy disasters of the last decade.”

“Making tough decisions is a test of leadership,” and Bush “failed that test,” he said.

“I would be very concerned” about someone who demonstrated such poor judgment being “in negotiations with the Soviets,” he said.

Contradiction Claimed

Bush, he charged, was participating in the decision to sell arms to Iran as ransom for hostages held in Lebanon at the same time that he was heading a task force on terrorism that concluded that the U.S. should “make no concession to terrorists.” The task force report was released in the spring of 1986, while the arms sale policy was in full swing.

When asked what steps he would take to free hostages, Dukakis said he would “do everything I can” but conceded that primarily what he could do is “talk.”

“It’s a dilemma for a President,” he conceded, but making concessions “only leads to more terrorism.”

When asked about Bush’s statement that Dukakis, as President, would make “risky concessions” to the Soviets, Dukakis ridiculed Bush’s record.

Not only had Bush participated in the Iran arms sales, Dukakis said, but the Administration had dealt with Panamanian strongman Manuel A. Noriega, and early in the Reagan Administration Bush had praised former Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos. “And he’s talking about judgment? About negotiations? About taking risks?” Dukakis scoffed.

The attacks on Bush’s Iran-Contra involvement culminated a day of sharp counterpunching against the GOP nominee.

For several days, Dukakis has been hinting that he was waiting for the proper moment to begin hitting back at Bush, who has spent most of the last several weeks attacking him while erasing the once-formidable lead that Dukakis held in the polls.

Meets With Editors

Tuesday morning, in a meeting with editors and publishers from western Massachusetts, Dukakis signaled that, with the traditional Labor Day campaign kickoff fast approaching, the time had come.

“I think it’s unfortunate, but I think it’s very clear what kind of campaign the Republicans are running,” he said when asked about “negative” campaigning. “I think we’re going to have to deal with it.”

He then proceeded to attack Bush’s record on crime and drugs, saying, in response to a question, that “on those rare occasions when the vice president has been asked to do something (about crime), it’s been a failure.”

And, a few hours later, in a speech at a high-tech research center at the University of Massachusetts here, Dukakis blasted Bush’s economic proposals and accused him of ducking debates.

Cites Trade Remark

“The vice president has said that our trade relationship with Japan is superb,” Dukakis said, quoting a remark Bush made after visiting that country in 1983. “And it is, for Japan. But I’m not running for President to create jobs in Japan. I want to create jobs here.”

Bush, he noted, has endorsed a $40-billion reduction in capital gains taxes. “Most of it will go to people making more than $200,000 a year,” he said. “That’s not building an economy, that’s feathering a nest.

“I say it’s time to stop worrying about bringing more prosperity to those who already have it made” and concentrate instead on “the millions of American families who work hard every day,” he said.

Issues Debate Challenge

In 1986, Dukakis noted, the United States for the first time ran a trade deficit in high-tech items. “Some say we should be satisfied with that record--although they don’t want to debate it,” he said in one of the several references to debates that he made during the day. “I challenge them to debate it, because that’s what our election is all about.”

Dukakis has been trying to make the most of the “debate over debates,” hoping to score points by giving the public a sense that Bush is attacking him long distance but is afraid to make his charges face to face.